News items posted to this page are usually edited versions of Member Mailings.
Four Winds News: 1 January 2002
2001 is dead. Long live 2002!
Here we are at 2002. 2001 turned out to be a year full of changes and surprises, and that was even before September 11th, The Chorus and it's Members have come through with a certain amount of grace and poise, largely due to the spiritual sustainment we derive from this work Hoka Hey!
We've kept the WTC Tribute Page on the server to remember those fallen on 9/11and our continuing struggle.
DRUM AND SONG WORKSHOPOn Sunday, November 11th we presented The Many Songs of The Drum. our workshop to bring singers to the drum and the drum to singers. Due to an unfortunate need to book the space well in advance, we were inadvertently scheduled directly opposite New Moon New York's 2001 Pagan Spirituality Expo. The Workshop went quite well. The Crowd was attentive and neither sparse or crowde, so a comfortable sized groupd. We are rahter gratified that people got over their "look silly in public" stuff and gave it a good shot. The result is that they GOT a lot of the concepts and materials presented and sounded pretty good too. Washite aloh!
MEMBERS SOLSTICE GATHERING
Our Member's Solstice Gathering on December 16th, in lieu of a tiring public event, was relaxiing, boisterous, musical and fun. Many members and their guests took the trme off to join Kurt and Heather and the biys in thier nanuet home for a social celbration of the holidays, We have GOT to do this sort of thing more often, We were even able to scare some old-timers out of the woodwork. All in all, a very very good time was had by all.
INANNA READY TO ROLLFriday-Sunday January 4-6 2002
We are putting th fianl touches on the Innana Show. As of the New Year, One fimal dress rehearsal and it's show time. We are really looking forward to presenting this production for it's three day run, The postponement resulting from the September 11th crisis actually helped us in allowing a bit more time to prepare and get more chorus Members involved and round out the background vocals. It's looking very good and is gong to be a good time. Hope to see lots of our fans and supporters out there!
Ritual Theater: Inanna: Journey of Darkness and Light
8:00 Friday-Saturday, January 4-5, 2002
3:00 Sunday, January 6, 2002
Musical Theatre Works, Black Box Theatre, Studio #4A, 440 Lafayette Street, 4th Floor, NYC
All Tickets: $10 ( All tickets and reservations from September 14-16 will be honored )
Information & Reservations: Joe or Jezibell: 212 592-9053, jezibell@earthlink.comAn expanded version of Jezibell's very successful Descent of Inanna, an evening of all original ritual theatre with song, chant and dance. Something very different and powerful. A Bardic retelling of the ancient Sumerian myth. Featuring Members of Four Winds Earth Chorus, Ira Weitz-Midde Eastern Percussionist and Enchantments Teaching Grove.
View Inanna Flyer page | View/Download Printable PDF File (356k)
GIVEAWAY V (update 11/11/2001)Firday, April 12, 2002
We're looking at putting up the next Giveaway Concert in the spring, and have just booked MTW for the event. We are back in the BlackBox at MTW again, a thankfully afforable and versatile space. We're considering an "up" theme... possibly Jesters, Fools and Coyote, like the riotous workshop we did. Hope to have Wolf Spirit Drum Circle and the Realies or Ericka again. We're looking for ideas, so start warming up that grey stuff.
Giveaway V: Jesters, Fools and Coyote
Free Concert with Four Winds and FriendsSaturday, April 13, 2002, 6:30-9:00pm (Stage Call for Members: 6;00pm)
Musical Theater Works, Black Box Theatre, Studio #4A, 440 Lafayette Street, 4th Floor, NYC
Theater: 212 677-0040 - Free - Donations Gratefully AcceptedThe next installment of our Giveaway Concert Series. As we skate past April Fools, we shall counter the seriousness of the times by leting out some of our, shall we say, less formal material. So... prepare yourself for funny bits, satire, goofy stuff, and as usual, some surprises.And when your're not looking, we'll slip in somthing real. What do you expect from Loki, Monkey and Coyote? See you there!
HONOR SONGS
Spring 2002, etc. - Ongoing Project
Considering current events, this seemed a natural for our next recording project. Advances in technology means we can do good quality One-off of CDs now at low costs. So an opportunity, to serve our Community as Bards. Want to collect inspiring , honoring, and spiritually uplifting stuff. But this time, the recording will be built as a series of mini projects as opposed to one big mega project. This would also also allow us to build the recording on a track by track basis, involving Members as needed or by availability.This project would also be open to some guest artists and Chorus alumnae contributing. Proceeds past production costs would be donated to one of the relief charities. Ian the Pierced one has offer the used of his freshly enhanced recording facilities and looks like the project is more than Feasible.
And one last thing...
A Parting Shot at 2001
As we careen out of 2001 with a very fond farewell, aside from the images seared into memory by an implacable enemy and a relentless media, it is the absurd which sticks in the mind. Our politicians tell us to “return to normal” and also ̉don’t forget to BUY lots of STUFF, get the economy rolling!” In previous wars, we were supposed to CONSERVE things. What the hell happened here? And besides, tell that to the million or so folks laid off this year, and their families. Someone else’s turn, OK? Hopefully the rest of you are picking up the slack and buying extra stuff for them. Yeah, get that Ford Expedition. Drive it around, gas it up, gas it up again. Who cares about mileage any more?
They stationed National Guard troops around so-called sensitive locations around New York City. I wave at these bewildered very white kids from upstate NY and get a blank stare. They come from places like Utica and Lake Placid, far removed from the sustained daily chaos of the Big Apple. NY City, frazzled, jittery and mightily pissed off to boot, is about as alien as Afghanistan to some of these guys. They’re supposed to be on the lookout for anything... * AHEM* ...suspicious. Do be careful with that M-16, Dougie.
By the standards of most of the nation, MOST New Yorkers are suspicious characters. We live and work here, for openers. We are every nationality, ethnicity, religion, profession, political and sexual persuasion you can name. The only way a terrorist is going to stand out from a crowd here is if they trudge through Grand Central Station tugging an oversize rolling suitcase painted with black and yellow stripes with “CAUTION: BOMB” stenciled on the side in big red letters.
And about half the crowd will think he’s an art student.
But God help him if he gets in the way during rush hour.
December 31, 2001
That's just where we are. Hope to see you all our Members past and present, friends and fans soon. And feedback, questions, thoughts are very welcome.
Kurt Griffith/Talking Stone
Choral Director
Mitaquye Oyasin * Blessed Be * Ashe * Shalom * A Salaam * Amen * Om
